Gender: May the Force be with you

On Monday 2 March, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg welcomed a number our gender advisors to NATO Headquarters in Brussels for an event at which they - along with gender advisors from other international organizations, representatives of civil society, academics, and NATO officials - discussed how integrating gender perspectives enhances operational effectiveness.

It has been nearly 20 years since the adoption of UNSCR 1325, and the WPS team at NATO HQ is undertaking a number of projects to evaluate how NATO has changed since the Women, Peace and Security agenda was first launched. As part of this, we sought to identify the current challenges and complexities NATO gender advisors face and to examine ways to strengthen their institutional capacity across the NATO Command Structure. Interviews were conducted with current and former NATO gender advisors, officials within NATO’s civilian and military structures, representatives of national governments, staff at the Nordic Centre for Gender in Military Operations (NATO’s Department Head on gender in the military), and other experts in the field.

The event on March 2nd was the culmination of this project, which was supported by the Permanent Representation of Germany to NATO. So what have we learned about the work of GENADs across NATO?

Gender advisors make NATO more effective. In Iraq and Afghanistan, where we are training and advising local forces, gender advisors help to make their institutions more effective, inclusive, and sustainable. Across our Commands, gender advisors help us develop the gender-smart standards and plans that we need to be more effective. In Brussels, they help to ensure that the policies we develop and the guidance we give to our Military Authorities takes gender into account.

NATO would benefit from a better understanding of the role gender advisors play and the value they add. The importance of gender considerations and how they contribute to operational effectiveness is not always well understood across the Alliance. Gender advisors who contributed to this project noted that some spend a significant amount of time explaining what they do and why it matters. While basic training on gender perspectives is provided to most serving in NATO structures, more work is needed to deepen the understanding of how incorporating gender perspectives applies across NATO’s activities and how gender advisors and gender focal points help to facilitate this work.

Gender advisors would benefit from more job-specific education and training as well as a community of practice. Interviews revealed that while personnel deployed as NATO gender advisors are dedicated professionals interested in advancing NATO’s effectiveness, few had previous experience related to gender.

In addition, opportunities for developing gender expertise within national structures are very limited. More opportunities for potential gender advisors and gender focal points to build expertise - at the national and NATO levels - would serve the Alliance well. In addition, mechanisms for sharing information among gender advisors would support the Alliance’s ability to build on the learning generated across NATO structures.

Leadership is essential. Gender advisors made clear that the support of their commanders was critical to success. Leadership support not only ensures that GENADs get the access they need to do their work but also engenders the kind of whole-of-organization approach needed to improve our effectiveness by incorporating gender perspectives. The Secretary General used the opportunity on 2 March to express his personal commitment to providing leadership and support to ensure continued progress on integrating gender into NATO’s work and thanked gender advisors for their valuable contributions.

This story is part of the Spring 2020 WPS Bulletin. Download the full edition here (ENG / FRE)